The police surgeon, as was only to be expected, was rather terse.

‘Plenty of people die of cold and exposure in weather like that,’ he said. ‘And hadn’t the man lived in India?’

‘No. He was ex-RN,’ said Jonathan (having put down the receiver) when Mrs Bradley appealed to him. ‘It was Tiny who’d lived in India. I’ll go and see Tiny in that nursing home. He should be able to tell us more about Bill’s health than anyone else can except Bill’s doctor, and we don’t know yet whether Bill ever went to a doctor.’

‘We might also try to find out where Mrs Dalby Whittier is staying,’ suggested Deborah, who had come in. ‘She might know something, too.’

‘I suppose she’ll come back when Tiny is out of the nursing home,’ said Jonathan.

‘I suppose so – but Bill Fullalove – it’s incredible!’

‘Well, if it should turn out to be murder, and if I had to bet, I think I would bet on Tiny,’ said Jonathan thoughtfully. ‘For one thing, I can’t see who else would have known Bill well enough to have murdered him, or even to have wanted to murder him.’

‘These are deep waters,’ said Mrs Bradley solemnly. ‘But I’ve been promised a chop for lunch. Give me, please, a glass of your excellent dry sherry, and let us forget these incalculable and meretricious problems, and concentrate upon food.’ She thought of the long spill and the short spill, and said no more.

Doctor Fielding rang up Jonathan next day with the tidings that he had received a visit that morning during surgery hours from the police surgeon and an inspector from Cheltenham. There had been some discussion, but of an abortive type, the doctor thought.

‘Still, they’re obviously interested in our anonymous correspondent,’ he added. The next visitor was for Deborah. Doctor Fielding had a very charming daughter of twenty. She was a level-headed and intelligent girl, and she came to give Deborah some news which Deborah was to pass on or not, at her discretion.

‘Proposed to you?’ said Deborah. ‘When was that?’

‘Last October. I turned him down. He seemed quite philosophical about it, that’s one thing.’

‘What did he say?’